A person’s morning routine is a very intimate thing. In fact, they’re often thought of beyond the concept of a routine and instead as more of a ritual. A solemn ceremony between you (and maybe your cat or s/o) and the start of the day. Morning routines can differ completely. There are those that roll out of bed 5 minutes before needing to leave the house, jump into their jeans, and run to the office for their first coffee of the day, while others leave 2 hours each a.m. to sip their coffee, think about the day, or squeeze in an episode of whatever the hottest new Netflix series is. While many of our morning routines at Eighty-Eight differ in certain ways, a good handful of us all share at least one morning behaviour: listening to podcasts. Whether it’s while we’re enjoying our first caffeine fix, when we’re getting ready, or on the walk to the office, we look forward to popping our earbuds in, tuning out, and tuning in to whatever we’re listening to.

To put it like an LSAT question, podcasts are to radio like Netflix is to TV. In other words, they’re the way of the future for this medium, and are having a major moment. On average, about 85% of people who start a podcast are listening to most, if not all of it. Last year, podcast advertising saw an 85% rise. These branded podcasts aren’t just offering discount codes, they’re putting effort into producing entire series that find creative ways to tie their messaging into valuable and enjoyable content for their customers. We’ve talked about podcasts before, in an ode to our favourites. If you look through our extensive list, you’ll see that some of these podcasts are branded. To these brands, we tip our hats. These are the brands that are early adopters and were quick to discover the value of getting involved in the world of podcasts. Thankfully, it’s not too late to jump on that bandwagon. If you need some extra convincing, here are a few reasons you should seriously consider a branded podcast.

Positive brand association

Blogs have been a thing for a long time. A huge benefit of a brand having a blog, is that you’re able to share content that’s relevant to your business. You’re also able to craft an online personality that is fitting to your brand’s identity. With a podcast, you’re quite literally able to hone your brand’s tone and voice. The format and content of the podcast – how you talk, who you talk to, and what you talk about – is a true reflection of the brand’s messaging, values, and interests. These things should have originally been crafted with your customer in mind, so if you’re doing this right, your listeners are likely to become amazing brand advocates the more they listen.

Thought leadership

Speaking of the content, there is no better way to tell a story – whether it’s your brand’s or an entertaining (but relevant) anecdote – than through a podcast. Brands can thoughtfully pick topics that play into what their message is, calling upon their brand ethos to drive conversations that make sense for what they’re doing. In this way your brand becomes a powerful voice on these topics, offering opinions and perspectives that will speak to the customer and help them better examine a concept through your lens. A podcast is the perfect platform for your brand’s founder or ambassador to provide insight on topics that matter to both the brand and the brand’s customer base.

Share of voice

Given that the market for branded podcasts is still emerging, there is still room for your brand’s voice in the space. In terms of competition, there isn’t a ton. There are of course the big fish, such as ZipRecruiter and Mastercard who are coming out with great content for their listeners and tying it all back to their brand’s messaging, but lots of shows out there don’t have a company backing them. As long as you’re coming up with a unique show, with fresh topics, perspectives that are your own, and entertaining to your audience, there’s a place for your brand’s podcast.

Customer acquisition and loyalty

Podcasts are a great way to get new customers. People are exploring podcast categories looking to be entertained. Why? Because everyone loves a good story. If you can manage to keep telling them week after week there’s no reason your audience won’t listen along with you as your series progresses. Podcasts provide customers with more value than traditional ads. According to NPR, 75% of their listeners actually took action on a sponsored message. To accomplish this you can buy ad space on other podcasts, to advertise your own and send more listeners your way. Podcasts are an incredible way to actually spend valuable time with your customers. You’re catching them during intimate moments of their day, as they’re living their lives – getting ready for the day, cooking dinner, or making their way to work. They’re focused, listening, and making your brand part of their day-to-day. Podcasts allow you to do more than just throw advertising at your customer. You’re actually able to control the message, conversation, and leave a positive impression on them that will lead to increased brand loyalty.

What’s next?

Getting started! You’re going to need to pick a format, ideate on what the show should be about, get your hands on podcast gear, or get in touch with a great producer like our friend Robyn Edgar, whose tips helped us write this post! She’s got incredible experience on how to run the show, get distribution, and we’re always happy to help you come up with amazing ideas for content and marketing the show.

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